JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 22, 2005) -East Tennessee State University men's basketball coach Murry Bartow announced on Friday that sophomore forward Aaron Scott (Houma, La.)has requested and will receive permission to transfer at the end of the 2004-05 school year.

Citing a desire to play closer to his home in Louisiana, Scott said his decision to leave should not give the impression that he was discouraged at ETSU. Bartow said he and his coaching staff understand Scott's decision and wish him the best.

"Aaron has meant a lot to our team, and we wish him only the best as he looks for a program closer to his home and family," Bartow said. "Making a decision like this is tough for a young man, but Aaron is doing what he thinks is best for him and his family."

Scott, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound forward from Houma, La., averaged 2.3 points and 2.4 rebounds a game in 2004-05, playing in 26 of the Buccaneers' 29 contests and averaging 14.4 minutes a game.

The Bucs now have two scholarships left to reward for the 2005-06 season. ETSU already has a recruiting class of five players, which includes guards Dante Williams (Romulus, Mich.), Shaun Keaton (Albany, Ga.) and Courtney Pigram (Memphis, Tenn.), as well as forwards Eryk Thomas (Fremont, Calif.) and Kenyona Swader (Smyrna, Tenn.).